National Bank/HBO Timeline

The National Bank Company, also known as National Bank, National Bank of New York and First National Bank of New York (FBNY), is an American national investment bank and financial services company headquartered in Manhattan, New York City with branches all across the United States.

History

In April 4 1939, Thomas Younger announced in a meeting that he was in the search for a new promotions plan for the National Bank that was to be "contemporary". Dick Loomis read about the rise of costumed adventurers in the New York Gazette and wrote to Younger suggesting that the company should have their very own superhero who would be protecting their customer's money as a publicity move. He even suggested that they should hire an already established costumed adventurer such as Nite Owl or Hooded Justice. Younger agreed to Loomis' idea, but suggested that they should hire someone athletic rather than hiring someone that's already established, stating that it would be easier to have somebody whose image they can shape and control. After getting approval to the idea, Loomis and another employee named Fred, brainstorm various names to give to their company owned hero. Fischer, an employee from the records department, was hired to make the costume. For aesthetic purposes and to raise maximum publicity appeal, the costume was extremely gaudy, with a large dollar sign on the front and a cloak that draped to the floor.

Bill Brady decided to answer an ad for the National Bank and was hired as the mascot superhero known as Dollar Bill. On June 15th, 1939, National Bank officially announced their hiring of Dollar Bill, and that he will protect their facilities.

Minutemen promote National Bank at a press conference.

On September 11, 1939, the employees at National Bank wrote a letter to Laurence Schexnayder offering Dollar Bill's services to aid the Minutemen. Not only would this help further raise the bank's publicity, but stated that Dollar Bill's media presence would be a favorable asset to the Minutemen's public profile.

National Bank would become a sponsor for the Minutemen Franchise LLC, as the team would promote the bank after giving a press conference featuring a racially insensitive poster.

On July 23, 1946, while attempting to stop a bank robbery at the First National Bank of New York's downtown offices, Dollar Bill's cape became entangled in the bank's revolving door and he was shot at point-blank range before he could free it.

Mister Shadow inside the National Bank.

In 2019, a branch of the National Bank in Washington, D.C. was used by the Anti-Vigilante Task Force to stage a fake bank robbery to lure in a costumed adventurer named Mister Shadow. Laurie Blake successfully captures Shadow and arrests him outside the bank.